Ambush
by Arashi Maxwell
Summary: A simple walk back after the mission was horribly ruined when the ambush happened. Poor Sasuke...It's a bad title, so what.


Supposed to be more romancy then it is, but whatever. I like and I hope you do.

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I drove my elbow into the back of my opponent's neck and glanced around as he fell. Off to my right I saw several blonde boys fighting a group of ninjas. To my left I saw a black-haired boy fighting as coolly and calmly as ever. Another ninja charged at me and I focused once again on the battle. An ambush on the route during one of our missions. We were done with the mission and making our way back when this group attacked us. The second ninja fell and I went into a defensive position, searching the clearing. There was nothing but silence, we had cleared the group out.

"Well, that was fun!" Naruto bounded up beside me, "Right, Sakura?"

"Naruto, you're such a dork," I shook my head at the over-excited boy. "Where's Sasuke?"

Naruto shrugged and glanced around. Neither of us saw our black-haired teammate and I cupped my hands to my mouth, "Sasuke!"

Silence answered once again. Behind me, I heard Naruto begin to shift some of the bodies around.

"What if he's hurt?" I wailed, following Naruto's example and moving bodies.

"Then we've got to find him and help." Duh, that made since. I ran to where I had last seen Sasuke fighting and pushed a body out of the way.

"Naruto! I found him!" Sasuke was lying on his face in the grass, blood running from several small wounds on his face and body. And several acupuncture needles were sticking out of his side and I pulled one of the small needle out to examine it as Naruto ran to my side.

"There's poison on the needle," I said, handing said needle to Naruto and turning Sasuke carefully over. I pulled him onto my lap so the wound wasn't in the dirt. "I don't recognize it."

There was silence as Naruto examined the needle. "I don't recognize it either."

I quickly made up my mind, "Naruto, you have to go back to the village and get an antidote. Take the needle and show it to Tsunade, she can help."

For once, Naruto didn't argue. He nodded and disappeared into the trees.

Sasuke gave a shuddering gasp in my lap and I looked back down at him. Sweat was glistening on his forehead and he was shivering. I pulled a roll of bandages from my pack and wrapped them loosely around Sasuke's ribs. Once I finished, I laid him carefully on the ground. I found a couple of blankets in the bags our team had dropped. I put one on the ground, pulled Sasuke onto it, and put another blanket over him.

"Poor Sasuke," I whispered as I dabbed the sweat off his head. Sasuke kicked the blanket off and stiffened. I picked up the blanket and stared down at Sasuke in pity as he began shaking. I put the blanket back on him and mopped the sweat off his forehead. I took the cloth I had laid on Sasuke's forehead and carried it to one of our packs a few feet away. I knew one of the water bottles had cold water in it and I dug through the packs for that bottle.

"…die." I turned at the sound of Sasuke's voice to see him standing a few steps from the blankets I had laid down.

"What?"

"Going…die," Sasuke stumbled towards me.

"Who?"

Sasuke's eyes were glazed over as he continued to stagger towards me and mumble. I dropped the water bottle and the rag and ran to his side as he fell forward. Sasuke collapsed against me and I carried him as best I could back to the blanket. As I was laying Sasuke back down, his body went limp. I ran back to the bags and wetted the rag with the cool water. I put the rag on his head and pulled the blanket back over him.

"No…He's still…" Sasuke thrashed around in his sleep. I brushed his bangs off his sweating face and his eyes fluttered open.

"S-Sakura?"

"Sasuke! How do you feel?" I leaned over him worriedly. He didn't answer me but tried to sit up. He stopped halfway and doubled up in pain, his hand going to the wound in his side.

"Sasuke! Don't move, you got poisoned." Sasuke ignored me and sat up again. He was shivering horribly and I offered him the blanket that had fallen when he sat up.

"What happened?" His voice was slurred as he spoke.

"I didn't see. I found you under of the bodies with the needles in your side. Sasuke, please lie down, you'll spread the poison." Sasuke shook his head and I sighed. There was silence except for the occasional ragged breath from Sasuke. I took the rag that had also fallen off him when he sat up, and carried it to the bags. Whether he liked it or not, I was going to get him to lie back down, it couldn't be good or him to be sitting.

Sasuke's breathing became suddenly very strained as I kneeled beside him. He looked up at me with glazed eyes, took a shuddering breath, and fell against my shoulder.

"Sasuke? Are you ok?" I tried to get a good look at his face. I saw his eyes were closed, but his breathing hadn't slowed. I wrapped the blanket around him and laid his head in my lap, gently stroking it. He relaxed the smallest amount and I glanced at the surrounding trees, muttering, "Where are you, Naruto?"

As if to answer my question, Naruto came leaping out of a tree and landed on the other side of the clearing. A small bottle of pale blue liquid was clutched in his hand as he ran to my side.

"Here, Sakura," he shoved the bottle into my hand. "Old Lady Tsunade says this'll fix it."

I took the top off the bottle and held it uncertainly, "Does he drink it? Or do I put it on the wound?"

"Drink it," Naturo said, kneeling down beside me.

"Lift his head," I told Naruto, waiting until he had done so before pouring the blue liquid carefully down Sasuke's throat.

"Now what?" Naruto looked up at me as I slipped the bottle into my bag. I shrugged as Sasuke's breathing steadied.

"I don't think it's safe to leave him here," I said, standing and gathering up the blankets. "You'll have to carry him."

"What?" Naruto jumped up, "Why me?"

"Because I can't."

Naruto grumbled, but seemed unable to find an argument. I helped him lift Sasuke onto his back and grabbed the bags we had dropped.

With that, Naruto and I began our walk back to Konaha.


End file.
